PAC-12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 14, 2024

Mick Cronin

Dylan Andrews

UCLA Bruins

Postgame Press Conference

Oregon - 68, UCLA - 66

MICK CRONIN: Defensively we were really bad in the second half, combined with we didn't make shots -- 2-for-11 and we missed a bunch of free throws, some of the front ends of the bonus. That's what got us beat.

I'm not commenting on officiating, so don't ask. Have the heart to write what you saw, that's what I would tell you.

Q. Dylan, what was the plan going into the last play, and how did it kind of unfold in your eyes?

DYLAN ANDREWS: Coach told me 4 seconds left, that I just have four dribbles. And to make a play we had a fade screen for Will. We had another ghost screen for me. And just to make a play out of that.

MICK CRONIN: You did a great job. The ball just didn't go in. Excellent execution by Dylan in that situation.

Q. Your role is multi-faceted -- you have to play the role of a mentor, disciplinarian, sometimes a teacher. When you reflect on the '23-'24 team, what will you think of this team?

MICK CRONIN: I would need time for that. I would need time for that.

I would tell you just off the top of my head, in coaching, it's hard when you're asking guys to do stuff they're not ready to do yet. They're not trained to do yet. Unless your talent supersedes your inexperience, it's really, really hard.

And the our talent didn't supersede our inexperience this year. So therefore I had to ask a lot of guys to do stuff they weren't quite ready to do.

Q. Dylan, you guys were down 63-53, I think, and went on a 9-0 run. A lot of fighting, scrapping for balls. What do you think that said about the toughness that's developed for this team?

DYLAN ANDREWS: For sure. Momentum was carrying on throughout that whole nine-minute stretch. It felt good. We started playing defense. I felt we got way from that during the game. And we were more focused on the offensive part of it.

As you could see, they scored, I think it says 38 to 20 in paint points. And they really killed us down there. We have to go back to the drawing board and just figure that out because that's unacceptable.

Q. Dylan, when you reflect over the season, how have you grown? And going into the offseason, what aspects of your game will you focus on?

DYLAN ANDREWS: Just working on being more of a leader, more vocal leader, and just being an extension of Coach Cronin as well. And just working on my game 24/7, just being ready to -- whenever my number is called, just be ready.

Q. What makes Dante just so hard to defend?

MICK CRONIN: Experience. Good player, playing his fifth season. But the last two times we've played Oregon, Adem played 16 minutes and 18 minutes. Tonight we're plus-7 with him on the floor. What if he had played 30 percent minutes? Plus-12, plus-15, easy victory.

You guys saw the same stuff I saw. And I've already watched it on the video.

Q. Obviously UCLA is the brand in this conference when it comes to basketball. Your last Pac-12 game. Can you kind of talk about your thoughts on the Pac-12 --

MICK CRONIN: Sad. Sad. Sad. I think, I would only hope -- I think I know this because I follows it close, although I've never spoken to our head of the NCAA, Mr. Baker. He's doing everything he can to save college sports, literally everything he can.

And all you've got to do is look at what happened to this great conference and realize it can happen to all of college sports. Like people, with all this stuff, I'll throw something out and people will say, well, that can't happen. If you would have met me five years ago and I would have told you all this was going on, you would have said there's no way.

You're not the Big Ten. There's not collectives recruiting and paying players. Courts saying the NCAA -- every time we have a rule the court says you can't have one.

So here's what I've got for you. N'Faly Dante is making NIL money and let's just assume it's better than what he can make playing professionally next year. He should get an attorney and he should get an injunction so he can keep playing in college because we lose every other case, the NCAA.

I know you're looking at me, like, you're crazy. But why wouldn't he do that? Because (indiscernible) taking away his right to make a living. I bet he would win. I mean every other case wins. So I mean the whole thing is nuts.

But as far as the Pac-12, look, I feel bad for the West Coast basketball fans and personally for UCLA fans and mainly for the alumni that have hung so many banners and just been such an illustrious part of the Pac-12 -- records and all that stuff, where does all that go.

Like Don MacLean, leading scorer in the history. I might have to go have a few cold ones with Don. He's going to be really depressed. I know him. Worried about him now that I say it.

Q. Jan played a ton of minutes tonight and played yesterday. What did you think about his play?

MICK CRONIN: He's been a great kid all year, listening, trying every day. He's a great example of what you want as a coach. You ask kids, hey, whether you play or not, come in and work your ass off and have a great attitude. Very few do that, he does. I was just rewarding him.

We just have some other guys not producing or they don't listen. He listens, and he tries. He does two things really -- so I just wish I could get him to quit shooting off one foot.

Q. We saw a lot of growth from Dylan, Jan the last couple of games, Aday over the last month or so. How will you balance wanting to keep as many of these guys together?

MICK CRONIN: We just lost. I'll get it. We'll talk. Let's get the hell out of here. I'm sure Dana's out in the hall. Look, it's all crazy. Everybody's a free agent. It's the way it is. We'll deal with it all.